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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29125500">By Your Side</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyWallace/pseuds/LadyWallace'>LadyWallace</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Febuwhump 2021 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>FebuWhump2021, Gen, Hurt Sam, Hurt/Comfort, Please don't leave, Protective Dean, Whump, prompts, with art</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:54:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,321</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29125500</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyWallace/pseuds/LadyWallace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>(For Febuwhump Alt. 10) An unfortunate accident in the woods forces Dean to have to leave his brother to get help. After just getting him back, it's not an easy thing to do. (Set S3)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sam Winchester &amp; Dean Winchester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Febuwhump 2021 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137137</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>febuwhump 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>By Your Side</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey guys! So I'm not doing the entire Febuwhump challenge, but I have written a few stories from the prompts this month, so I hope you'll enjoy them! </p>
<p>Thanks to Noxbait for picking the prompt for this one ^_^</p>
<p>(Art is by me)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dean was panicking. He was trying not to, but he couldn't help it. Not when his little brother was lying crumpled at the base of a steep ravine.</p>
<p>"Sammy!" Dean shouted as he slid down in a flurry of dirt and leaves, heart pounding as Sam's all-too-still figure mocked him. Not again, he was not doing this again…</p>
<p>Then Sam stirred and allowed Dean a little relief. At least he was alive. They could get through anything as long as Sam was alive.</p>
<p>"Sammy," Dean called again, finally skidding to a stop beside his brother, hands hovering hesitantly over him, afraid to touch, but he had to know. "Sammy, come on, open your eyes." Flashes washed over Dean. Memories of holding Sam in his arms, trying desperately to stop the blood from flowing out, kneeling in the mud and rain. It made him sick to his stomach. They weren't back in Cold Oak, he knew that, and yet he couldn't get it out of his head. If Sam died now, Dean had no soul left to sell. They wouldn't get a second chance at that.</p>
<p>He reached out, trying to keep his hands from trembling as he cradled Sam's face between his palms, brushing back the hair that was matted to Sam's forehead with blood. "Come on, Sam," he growled desperately, pleading.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Finally, Sam's eyes fluttered open and he blinked up at Dean in confusion for a second before his face twisted in pain and he let out a small groan. "Dean…"</p>
<p>"Hey, hey, it's all right, I'm here," Dean told him softly. "Can you tell me where it hurts?"</p>
<p>Sam scrunched his face up, squinting. "Head and…" he shifted and then let out a sudden sharp intake of breath. "L-leg. My leg."</p>
<p>Dean looked down and saw, to his horror, that Sam's left leg was lying at a rather awkward angle. He shifted to better inspect it and ran a careful hand down the limb.</p>
<p>Sam flinched and cried out. Dean's suspicions were confirmed as he felt the unwanted lump a few inches above Sam's ankle.</p>
<p>"Broken?" Sam gasped.</p>
<p>"Yeah," Dean replied grimly, dread washing over him. He looked up, seeing the sun already dipping into the west. They only had a few hours of decent daylight left and certainly not enough for Dean to make some kind of litter and drag Sam up the ravine and out of the woods by himself. That left only one option.</p>
<p>"Sammy," he said softly, swallowing hard as he looked down at his brother, resting a soft hand against his jaw. "I need to go for help, okay? I can't get you out of here by myself."</p>
<p>"What do you mean?" Sam croaked, blinking. Dean pressed his lips into a worried line—it looked like Sam might be concussed too, which was bad. He really shouldn't leave him, and yet…</p>
<p>If he didn't he wouldn't be able to get Sam the help he needed as soon as he needed it.</p>
<p>"I gotta go, Sammy," he said, hating himself for saying those words. "There's that ranger's station a few miles back. I can get help for you there."</p>
<p>"Dean…" Sam murmured, eyes wet with fear that his little brother didn't usually show. Dean felt his heart tear as Sam's hand found his sleeve and curled tightly into it.</p>
<p>"Sammy, I don't want to do this, but I have to," Dean told him. "For you."</p>
<p>Sam swallowed jerkily but finally gave a short nod before he winced at the movement. "Okay. Just…Please, come back, Dean."</p>
<p>Dean ran a hand through his hair again. "I will. I promise."</p>
<p>Sam loosened his grip on Dean's arm and the elder brother nodded to him before he stood up, tearing himself away from Sam as he climbed up the ravine and tore off through the woods.</p>
<p>He ran most of the way to the ranger's station, beating the sun, panting for breath and ignoring the painful stitch in his side. All he could think of was his little brother lying out there alone and hurt with no one to watch over him.</p>
<p>He made it to the ranger's station and the two rangers who were there hurried out in their ATVs after calling for an ambulance that would meet them back at the station.</p>
<p>Dean nearly collapsed after he got to the station and one of the rangers put her hand on his shoulder.</p>
<p>"Hey, are you okay?" she asked. "Maybe you should stay here, we know exactly where you're talking about, had to make several rescues out there—"</p>
<p>"No!" Dean snapped, taking in a deep breath and straightening up. "No. I promised my brother I would be back and I'm going back."</p>
<p>The ranger shared a look with her partner and he shrugged. "Let's go then."</p>
<p>It was a lot quicker to get back with the ATVs and Dean was glad to see that the sun hadn't set yet.</p>
<p>"Sam! I'm back! I brought help!" Dean shouted down the ravine, ignoring the ranger's warning as he slid down without abandon.</p>
<p>He caught his breath when he saw Sam lying still, but his brother's head shifted and his eyes opened, relief showing in them.</p>
<p>"Dean," he said softly.</p>
<p>Dean hurried to his side and crouched down, grasping Sam's reaching hand. His little brother offered a wavering smile.</p>
<p>"Came back," he whispered.</p>
<p>"'Course I did, kiddo," Dean told him firmly. "You know I'll always come back for you." Sam's face wavered slightly, but he nodded.</p>
<p>Dean didn't say what was weighing between them; that that might not always be the truth. Not when Dean was destined for Hell. He didn't think he would have the luxury to make that promise when it came to that.</p>
<p>But right now, he could still make that promise and keep it and it was okay.</p>
<p>The rangers made it down and Dean helped lift Sam onto a stretcher before they carefully carried him up the side of the ravine.</p>
<p>An ambulance was waiting at the ranger's station when they got back and they loaded Sam up, Dean getting into the car after handing his keys over to the rangers. He didn't even care at the moment about someone else driving his baby. He just wanted to get his brother safe and taken care of.</p>
<p>Hours later, after Dean had nearly paced a hole in the floor of the ER waiting room, the doctor finally came and showed him to the room Sam was being kept in.</p>
<p>Dean's chest had been tight the whole time, only loosening when he finally saw his brother, bandage around his head and his broken leg elevated in a cast, a little loopy from the pain meds. He smiled at Dean as he came in.</p>
<p>Dean couldn't help but grin back. "Hey, tiger, they give you the good stuff?"</p>
<p>"Yeah," Sam huffed, blinking slowly before he seemed to sober. "Glad you're still here, Dean."</p>
<p>Dean pulled a chair over to the bed and sat down. "Where else would I be but by your side, Sammy?" he asked fondly.</p>
<p>Sam stared at him for a long moment, until Dean started to feel the weight of everything pressing down on him and simply reached out and patted Sam's arm. "Come on, take the chance to get some rest. You deserve it."</p>
<p>Sam looked like he wanted to protest but the medicine was making it impossible. Instead his eyes slid shut and he went limp in the bed, breathing evening out. Dean kept a hand wrapped around his wrist, feeling Sam's pulse under his fingers.</p>
<p>He didn't want to think about the day when he wouldn't be able to keep his promise, but until then, he wasn't planning on leaving Sam's side. And neither hell nor heaven could do anything about it.</p>
<p>Dean stopped thinking about those things though and simply watched his brother sleep, grateful that he had that at least.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You can also find me on Tumblr @ladywallace and Instagram for art @ladyofinkandpaper<br/>Stop by and say hi or if you just want to chat fandom :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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